Good things seem to be coming out of Scandinavia lately. The band Kings of Convenience is no exception.
Hailing from Bergen, Norway, the duo is comprised of childhood friends Eirik Glambek Boe and Erlend Oye. They sound like a modern day Simon and Garfunkel: two acoustic guitars, two great voices, pensive lyrics and the same beautiful harmonies, with the occasional bit of piano or strings tossed in.
On their website, the band notes that Bergen is "The rain capital of Norway," and you can certainly sense the dreariness of constant rain in the lyrical imagery and bittersweet vocal harmonies of their gorgeous new album Quiet is the New Loud. The songs, such as "Winning a Battle, Losing the War" and "Toxic Girl" deal with unrequited love and relationships gone sour. If you like Simon and Garfunkel, Nick Drake or Badly Drawn Boy, you should definitely check out this record.
-By John Royall
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